A note meant nothing

Ms Maas reports on the latest New Zealand suicide figures, and concerns that the actual figure may be even higher.

From June 2014 to May 2015, 569 people are officially listed as having died by suicide or suspected suicide – the highest number ever recorded in New Zealand.

Officially, at least 11 people a week die by suicide. But Timaru-based GP Dr Oliver Bourke warned that the true number could be three times higher. “I honestly think people have no idea how many people die by suicide,” he said. “These figures are awful.”

If a coroner is not satisfied that a death can be ruled a suicide, then it is classified under a different category, like an accident, or the cause is simply declared undetermined.

Meanwhile, the father of the Wellington artist said that not revealing the true statistics prevented people from getting the help they needed from mental health services. “I felt they were stretched and I also felt they were lacking the ability to bring the work that was needed to be done.”